IPAF ePAL app passes quarter of a million downloads
The app, which focuses on training for MEWP operators, was launched in June 2021 and rolled out globally earlier this year
The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has announced that its ePAL mobile app for operators of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and mast-climbing work platforms (MCWPs) has surpassed a quarter of a million first-time downloads.
The milestone follows the global roll-out of the ePal app earlier this year. The app which had initially been launched in June 2021, allows digital certification of training, including IPAF’s Powered Access Licence (PAL) Card.
Through the app, IPAF can communicate safety messages to operators around the globe whilst users can store and share training certification, log machine time, and report incidents or near-misses to IPAF’s portal.
In mid-July 2022, Rapid Access expanded its fleet with JLG and later in the month, IPAF accredited its first training centre in Kenya.
The app is said to be available in all territories where IPAF certifies training, and according to the organisation, is now in more than 160 countries worldwide.
Peter Douglas, IPAF’s CEO and Managing Director said, “We developed ePAL in partnership with our member firm Trackunit in part to offer operators and supervisors a digital tool to share training certification and log equipment time, and also as part of our ongoing digitalisation project. We are streamlining processing of IPAF licences and have significantly reduced the carbon footprint involved in sending hundreds of thousands of plastic PAL Cards and paper certificates all around the globe each year.”
He added, “We have been rolling the app out since mid-2021, and while the emphasis was on newly certified training candidates in the first few months, take-up has snowballed, and now it is encouraging to see that ePAL is being downloaded by ever increasing numbers of people around the world.”
In August 2022, Terex announced its investment in Acculon Energy to accelerate MEWP electrification and, in November 2022, Construction Machinery Middle East said that its Access & Handling Summit in February would showcase ‘smarter ways to work at height’.
